For three full hockey seasons together, Chad Staley and Jeremiah Luedtke formed a lethal forward combination that made opposition goalies see red.
They conjured offensive-zone magic together for two seasons as linemates on the Prince George Spruce Kings and last year finished 1-2 in team scoring, but now as 20-year-olds they've gone their separate ways.
Leudtke, a right winger from Seattle, informed the Spruce Kings in May he wants to finish his junior career in the U.S.Hockey League with the Bloomington (Ill.) Thunder. While it remains to be seen if Luedtke makes that team, Staley and the Kings are doing just fine without him.
Even without Luedtke, who finished the season with 55 points in 58 games, it's been a long time since the Kings have had as much depth at forward as they do now and Staley, a centre, isn't short of blue-chip candidates to replace his former right-hand man.
"This would have been our fourth year on the same team and I'm obviously going to miss him and it will take a little adjusting to, for sure, but we've brought in some good guys to fill in the missing pieces," said Staley, a native of Kennewick, Wash., who also played midget hockey with Luedtke in Wenatchee and were together on the ice for five years on summer hockey teams.
"I hope it works out for him. We had a pretty good run. I just wish the best for him."
Staley picked up where he left off last season in Friday night's Blue vs. White intrasquad game, which capped the first day of training camp at the Coliseum. Centring a line with Kings veteran Brent Lashuk and newcomer Taylor Allan (picked up in a trade from Cowichan Valley), Staley was back showing off his blazing speed, shifty stickhandling and pinpoint playmaking while collecting five assists in a 9-5 Team White win over Team Blue.
While it's way too early to set the line combinations in stone, with Justin Rai, Brogan O'Brien, former Smiths Falls Bear sniper Michael Buonincontri, Staley, Lashuk and Allan all potential first-line forwards, the Kings appear to be neck-deep in scoring talent.
Like his Kings teammates, Staley has never gone beyond the first round of playoffs in the BCHL and as a 20-year-old, this is his last time to try to make that happen. Last year he was a go-to guy in almost any situation, sparking the power play, killing penalties and taking key faceoffs while averaging more than 25 minutes of playing time per game. He's also proved his durability, missing just one exhibition game in two seasons of active duty with the Kings.
"It's the last chance to make a run with this team, we've had a couple disappointing playoff performances the last two and hopefully we'll make up for it this year," said Staley.
"I still have to work just as hard as I did the last two years to get points, they're not going to come easier just because I led the team last year. I just have to keep doing what I have been doing and I have a lot of great players helping me. We're all meshing well so far and I don't see any reason why we can't win this league."
Lashuk scored three goals for Team White and Colorado import Rider Stoglin had a three-point game, with two goals and an assist. Braiden Epp, Colton Thomas (on a nice shorthanded effort) and defenceman Jake McCarthy also scored for White. Rai paced Blue with two goals and an assist and was stopped on a third-period penalty shot by goalie Alex Brooks-Potts. Jake LeBrun, Frankie Spellman and Jacob Malloch were the other Blue goalscorers.
Friday's scrimmage gave all six goalies each a period of action. That list of stoppers includes incumbent Jesse Jenks, Prince George minor hockey product Mitch Profeit, Liam McCloskey, Bailey DePalma and Jacob Krupp.
Training camp resumes today with practices at 10 and 11:15 a.m. Intrasquad games are scheduled for tonight at 7 and Sunday at 10 a.m. The Kings head out on the road Tuesday for a game in Salmon Arm against the Silverbacks.
